Thursday June 19- Not what I want

Hi !

First, lemme start out by saying that me and my kids are safe.

It has been quite a week here. I’ve had multiple nights where I slept 1-2 hours. I can’t tell you how much time I’ve spent on sites and Twitter, looking for the latest news.

I’ve also spent plenty of time making sure all my kids are safe. They’re all in different places and I’m thankful for WhatsApp that allows me to know in real time that all is well with them.

Why am I sharing this? Because today’s pain point is personal.

I have a content calendar and know what I wanted to cover this week. But local events have kinda taken over and I didn’t have the time or the headspace to put together a proper enews.

And I apologize profusely for that.

It bothers the hell out of me because I’m Gen X and our motto is, Just put your head down and get stuff done. (I may use a different word instead of “stuff.”) Additionally, I’m an oldest child and take responsibility very seriously.

I made a commitment to publish a weekly enews where I can cover a pain point you’re facing and provide solutions. Looks like for this week, the pain point is sometimes, no matter our good intentions, we can’t get everything done.

I worked in small shops for many years. When I was CEO I was also head of fundraising and marketing. I know the demands of a nonprofit job. I know that all of you wear many many hats.

It’s tough to juggle everything and finish projects on time. Especially when you’re underpaid, overworked and underappreciated. I get it.

This week I learned again (not the first time and probably not the last) that some things are out of my hands. I can’t do it all.

And that’s ok.

My plan is to be back in your inbox next week with a full edition of the enews. But for this week, please see the below sections. I didn’t wanna completely miss an opp to share with you some great ideas and content you can use.

🧻 Learn from the good: Give a crap!

In this section I will share with you something good being done by a nonprofit that you can learn from.

Using humor as your theme is difficult to pull off. But that is exactly why I subscribe to the emails from Who Gives A Crap.

Who Gives A Crap sells eco-friendly toilet paper and other products. I don’t follow them because I need toilet paper. I follow them because they donate 50% of their profits to ensuring that everyone in the world has access to clean water and a toilet.

That’s a mission I can get behind 🥁 

Here’s what they sent me recently:

This stands out in my inbox because it’s different. It’s humorous. And they took something we’ve all had an experience with and turned it into a marketing tool.

Here’s the bottom ( 🥁 ) part of the email:

A few things:

1. They know people read emails on their phones while in the bathroom. Hence the first sentence.

2. I love the second sentence!

3. The CTA text? Clever!

4. Simple product placement

5. And yes, the shape of the green at the top of the image is intentional!

As nonprofits, we deal with the toughest issues out there. Hunger, homelessness, disease, poverty, illnesses and much more. It’s hard to even consider humor in the content mix.

But I do believe there’s a place for it. From time to time make people smile and laugh. We all have enough 💩  in our lives to deal with. We could use a break.

Who Gives A Crap can send humorous emails all the time because that’s their way of communicating. That may not be you and that’s ok. But send something light, funny or different every now and then. Your audience will appreciate it.

A little of this and that

In this section I’m going to share with you great content I’ve picked out that you can learn from.

1. Do fundraising thermometers still work? (The Better Fundraising Company)

2. 10 fundraising mistakes and how to fix them. Numbers 2, 6 and 7!!! (Nonprofit Tech For Good)

3. A guide to DAF’s (Soapbox Engage)

4. 4 ways to use impact data in your marketing materials (Grassroots Analytics)

5. How to ask for and secure major gifts (Gail Perry Group)

🥞 Not how I’d make these

People will do a LOT of crazy things when creating content to upload to the Internet.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you allowed a cow into your kitchen while you made bulk pancakes? Wonder no more! I love watching this video because no matter how crazy things get, these guys get the job done.

Back at it next Thursday. Have a great weekend!

P.S. No music this week. I have to always be on alert for siren warnings so I can get to my “bunker” in time.